Mother of Movies liked the Sex and the City TV Series, so when I settled down to watch Netflix and Kristin Davis’s face appeared next to a very icy-looking thriller title, I thought, why not? “Deadly Illusions” (aka Grace) was released to the Netflix platform on the 18th of March 2021. What I expected was a predictable ending for Deadly Illusions husband stealing nanny-type flick, with Greer Grammer as the nanny. What I got was something so cringeworthy and so much less thrilling than I expected. Davis stars as a big-time novelist, Mary whose life is so blissfully happy and wonderful that she just can’t even think about writing another novel.
Deadly Illusions Review
When her husband, played by Dermot Mulroney (Copy Cat) confesses to losing half their reserve money. The deal has gone south and the only solution is for her to pump out another best-seller and fix everything. But Mary is not happy about it, not one bit. Mary’s novels were borne of unhappy mindsets and who knows what could happen if she embarks on immersing herself in a new story. Mary confesses, writing again “changes her.” The dramatic tone and score suggest this change is not going to be good. For anyone.
Luckily for Mary, her best friend Elaine (Shanola Hampton) knows someone who knows someone who can get her the best of the best nannies. Having a nanny will allow Mary to knuckle down and clear her writer’s block. She interviews a bunch of young girls from the agency before a beautiful blonde rides on a bicycle. A bow in her hair, the picture of innocence, and probably would have been hired on the spot when she began to read… a book.
Mary writes books! It’s obvious this girl is the one and before you can say, “Haven’t you ever heard stories about hiring hot nannies?” she hires the hot nanny. Deadly Illusions begins as a predictable story and ends as one as well.
Netflix Thriller to Watch
The Deadly Illusions movie starts just the way you want it to start when you’re looking for a predictable thriller. It feels like a Lifetime movie, it’s got faces you recognize and the storyline brings up memories of films like “The Hand that Rocked the Cradle.” I want more of that. Then suddenly, Mary is taking Grace’s bra shopping. This comes at a point in the storyline that withholds all information about nanny Grace. All we know about her is that she loves the job, and has lots of brothers and sisters. The bra-shopping excursion was the oddest scene I’ve come across in a movie in a long time.
The situation unfolds as Mary takes charge of tasks that the shop assistant should handle, ultimately joining Grace in the stall. Their exchange includes unsettling eye contact and inappropriate touching from Grace, creating a discomforting atmosphere. At this juncture, the film portrays Mary in a maternal light, while leaving Grace’s age undisclosed. It is evident that the editing of this scene, positioned near the beginning of the film, missed the mark, diluting the potential for a romantic interlude and rendering it overly explicit.
As Mary immerses in her writing, utilizing Grace as her muse, the film ensures the matter of whether she is old enough is covered. Just in case anyone was wondering. Mary begins to have hallucinations about her husband Tom frolicking around their kitchen in sordid detail while falling under her spell with Grace. Writer-director Anna Elizabeth James stumbles in trying to convince the audience that Mary might be going crazy. Elaine mutters a few words about Grace and her husband into Mary’s ears and turns up dead with a pair of scissors awkwardly angled into her neck.
Everyone Still Loves Grace
The final scenes in the Deadly Illusions movie are a mash of aunties with multiple personalities and the dual personalities inside Grace who finally raise their unhinged voices. I believe at the end of Deadly Illusions you are supposed to recognize that Mary begins visiting Grace in the mental hospital she ends up in. After all, Grace is nice. It was her alter ego that seduced her husband and sliced his stomach up like pork belly. But hey, love is love. Who am I to yuck someone else’s yum? The closing shot shows the same outfit the murderer wore hurriedly leaving the mental hospital. Is Mary dead or just trapped there forever? We will never know.
For a much kinder review of Deadly Illusions, check out HorrorBuzz.com. They liked it.
Mother of Movies rated Deadly Illusions
1 who’s a bad boy? out of 5
Deadly Illusions 2021 cast includes Kristin Davis, Dermot Mulroney, and Greer Grammer.
The film was written and directed by Anna Elizabeth James and the Deadly Illusions is also known as Grace.
Other movies you could watch instead of Deadly Illusions: The Deep Ones / Death to 2020 / The Wretched
Deadly Illusions Trailer
Deadly Illusions 2021 Review
Director: Anna Elizabeth James
Date Created: 2021-03-23 00:56
1
